Lost during the month of October in between breast cancer awareness month and Halloween is Adopt A Shelter Dog Month.
The campaign promotes the adoption of dogs instead of buying a dog at a local pet shop or anywhere else.
“Because of pet overpopulation, we want to make sure that the thousands of homeless pets that come through our shelter each year will have a chance for a home before people breed and buy pets,” said Mandy Mills, administrator with the Chula Vista Animal Care Facility.
For the month of October, The Chula Vista Animal Care Facility set its adoption fees to $25, which includes the spaying, and neutering of animals, and a dog license for the year. The regular adoption fee for a pet is $75.
At an adoption event earlier this month in East County, the Chula Vista Animal Care Facility adopted out seven dogs.
The center has also been promoting the campaign by posting on its social media pages.
Mills said the Chula Vista Animal Care Facility is the temporary home to about 7,000 animals each year from the neighborhoods in Chula Vista, National City and Lemon Grove.
Mills said throughout the year the facility gets overpopulated. She said they rescue lost and abandoned animals, injured animals or animals feely given up to the facility. She said about 50 percent of the animals in the shelter are dogs, 40 percent are cats and 10 percent are other animals like snakes, rabbits and chickens.
Mills said if adoption is out of the question there are still ways someone can help or contribute to the Chula Vista Animal Car Facility. Monetary donations are always welcomed, as are donations of items for pets such as dog toys, towels, bedding and pet shampoo, she said.
Mills said volunteering is another way of helping the facility without adopting a pet. Volunteers usually are needed to interact with animals in the interaction yard. More experienced volunteers will help out at pet adoption event to help showcase animals outside the shelter. Volunteers also help with cleaning and assisting with other projects around the shelter.
Mills said the animal facility does its best to match the right pet with the right owners. She said they makes sure potential pet owners are allowed to have pets and also check to see if a pet will be able to interact appropriately with other people.
“We try to make sure it is a solid match and its not going to be a returned adoption,” Mills said, noting that their success rate is high.
For an adoption application, visit www.cvacf.org.
